Louisiana Chicken Pasta is a recipe for one of the Cheesecake Factory‘s most popular Cajun Chicken Pasta dishes. Delicious Parmesan crusted chicken is served over bow tie pasta with mushrooms, green onions, and bell peppers in a spicy New Orleans sauce. Very easy, one skillet meal that comes together quickly and is full of flavor!
This incredible Louisiana Chicken Pasta dish is full of flavor thanks to the combination of bell peppers, garlic, green onions and mushrooms. And of course, Cajun seasoning. It’s Cajun chicken pasta in its finest!
I love to make a restaurant quality meal at the convenience of my own home. Pay same price as in a restaurant, but get 4 full portions! This Cheesecake factory copycat truly feeds a whole family. That’s a pretty good deal in today’s economy!
What kind of chicken to use
Thin or butterflied chicken. You will need thin or butterflied chicken breasts, or even chicken tenders. If the chicken you bought is thick, as it usually is, make sure to butterfly it by slicing it through the middle and splitting it into two thinner parts.
Chicken is crusted with Parmesan, bread crumbs and spices and cooked on each side for 4 to 5 minutes. You will cook chicken breasts whole and then slice into strips.
What kind of spices to use
Creole Seasoning. My first introduction to Cajun spices as years ago, when Emeril Lagasse had a show on Food Network cooking everything with his Emeril Essence Creole Seasoning.
What he used to make his Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe was a combination of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, thyme, oregano and salt. To this day I still use his seasoning for the Louisiana Chicken Pasta.
Equipment to make Louisiana Chicken Pasta
You will need two skillets to prepare it: one for cooking the chicken and the other for the sauce and pasta. I used stainless steel pans.
You will also need a large saucepan to cook pasta in, a spatula and a whisk.
What Kind of Pasta to Use?
Bow tie or penne pasta. Any bow tie pasta will work for Louisiana Chicken Pasta. My orange colored bow tie pasta was fun to work with and super delicious to eat! It was actually two color bow tie pasta, but the second darker color is not as visible on the pictures. I also think penne will work very well in this dish.
How to Cook Vegetables for the Sauce
Heat olive oil and butter on medium high heat in a large stainless steel skillet until butter is melted. Add sliced Cremini mushrooms to the hot pan and cook for a total of 3 minutes – 1.5 minute on each side.
Next add mixed bell peppers, green onions, garlic, and a splash of olive oil. Cook for 4 minutes on medium high until softened.
How to Make the New Orleans Sauce
Add chicken stock, heavy cream, and Cajun Seasoning. Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes. This is when the sauce will really start to smell good and look good.
Taste the sauce now before adding pasta to make sure it’s seasoned to your liking, add more of Cajun seasoning, red pepper flakes and salt if necessary.
I added just a pinch more of seasoning at this point. Don’t forget you will be adding pasta to it later, so if you like it spicier, this is a good time to do it.
How to cook pasta
In the meantime bring a large pot of water to boil, add pasta and cook it according to instructions. Drain the pasta, but do not rinse.
For authentic “al dente” pasta, boil your pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally for 12 minutes. For more tender pasta, boil an additional 1 minute.
How to Serve Louisiana Chicken Pasta
When all work is done, the chicken is cooked and sliced, pasta is prepared and New Orleans Sauce is ready, sprinkle the slices of chicken with a bit of fresh green onions and shredded Parmesan and it will look even more attractive.
Serve Louisiana Chicken Pasta with the sliced chicken breast on top of the pasta. Use a spatula to pour the sauce on top of each plate.
If you liked this Cheesecake Factory Copycat, try the amazing Pasta Da Vinci Chicken Pasta in Madeira Wine Sauce.
Hungry for more delicious chicken pasta dishes?
Below is the list of chicken pasta recipes to explore:
- Chicken Pasta with Bacon and Spinach in Creamy Tomato Sauce
- Seared Chicken Pasta in White Wine Parmesan Cheese Sauce
- Chicken and Mushroom Pasta in Pesto Wine Sauce
Our new favorite creamy chicken recipe is this Creamy Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta dish! It’s ready in less than 30 minutes and is so unbelievably good that I cannot recommend it enough.
Louisiana Chicken Pasta – Parmesan Crusted Chicken in a Spicy New Orleans Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, (divided)
- 2 tablespoon butter, (divided)
- 1 lb chicken breasts, thin (4 to 5 pieces)
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
- ½ large yellow bell pepper, chopped
- ½ large red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
Sauce:
- 1 cup chicken stock, sodium free (adjust salt if not sodium free)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons Cajun Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 10 oz bow tie pasta
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- First, paper towel dry the chicken and then prepare two bowls. One is for the egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Whisk this egg mixture slightly.
- The second bowl is for the parmesan, bread crumbs and flour.
- Dredge each chicken breast piece in egg/seasoning mixture. After that place in parmesan mixture and press. Turn to coat the other side of the chicken with parmesan mixture and press again. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces and place each coated parmesan chicken onto a plate or a cutting board.
- TO COOK THE CHICKEN: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter on medium high in the stainless steel skillet. PLACE COATED CHICKEN in skillet and cook on medium high heat for 3-4 minutes one one side. DO NOT MOVE chicken otherwise the cheese will slide off surface before it adheres! Press down lightly with a spatula. TURN WITH TONGS when the first side is golden brown and cook the other side for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the skillet onto a large plate.
- Melt 2nd tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add sliced mushrooms to the hot pan and cook for a total of 3 minutes – 1.5 minute on each side.
- Add chopped bell peppers and green onions, and a splash of olive oil. Cook for 4 minutes on medium high until softened. Add garlic cloves and cook for 1 additional minute until garlic is fragrant.
- TO MAKE SAUCE: Add chicken stock, heavy cream, Cajun Seasoning, and salt to taste.
- TO COOK PASTA: In the meantime bring a large pot of water to boil, add pasta and cook it according to instructions. Drain the pasta, but do not rinse. For authentic “al dente” pasta, boil your pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally for 12 minutes. For more tender pasta, boil an additional 1 minute.
- Add pasta to the pan and stir until fully coated in sauce. Add Parmesan to the sauce now. Taste and season with more salt if necessary.
- Slice chicken into thin strips and serve on top of pasta in individual plates. Sprinkle with additional shredded Parmesan and chopped fresh green onions, if desired.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only. This information comes from online calculators. Although whatsinthepan.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Video
Notes
For other popular chicken recipes see Balsamic Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Apples and Chicken Pasta in Creamy White Wine Parmesan Sauce.
Suzy says
This dinner was excellent! I substituted regular mushrooms since that’s what I had and it still tasted fantastic. We all thought the Cajun spice/heat with the Italian was a surprisingly nice blend and I received a thumbs up from the whole family. Will definitely make again.
Joann Gibson says
This is my go to entertaining dish. I bake the sauce with the pasta and then top it with the chicken. This is amazing
Olya at Whatsinthepan says
I’m so glad to hear that it’s your go to entertaining dish! Baking version sounds amazing!
Jonathan says
so yummy and real easy!
Janice says
Added a little flour to the sauce to thicken it Yummy!
Aya says
So good! The mushrooms in it are a must. You don’t need to go to a restaurant for a dish like this when you can just make it! Will definitely make again.
Kendall says
Delicious!!! Didn’t have fresh peppers or tomatoes so used a small can of green chiles and large can of diced tomatoes which I drained.
Ryan says
I used tenderloins instead of breasts. I also doubled the recipe. The family loved i
Sherronne Battle says
Just tried this tonight and it was great! The next time I’ll double it so that I can share with friends.
Olya at Whatsinthepan says
Great to hear it was a success worth repeating!!
Sherry Jesse says
Looked at your recipes and cook pastas often. I like your recipes so please add me to your list.
Olya at Whatsinthepan says
I’m glad you are enjoying the recipes. I added you to the list.
Tammy says
Did you use seasoned bread crumbs?
Olya at Whatsinthepan says
Just regular bread crumbs
sarah says
My family loved it. I’m so glad that I can make this awesome dish without having to go out and pay for it.